The thing is, these people being housed in shelters are getting food and drinking water, and they don't have the room to acquire a lot of possessions. They will need the basic personal care items such as diapers and infant formula, but their basic needs are being provided by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. That takes money: There's no way around it. A 16-ounce can of food won't feed very many people in a shelter, but a truckload of No. 10 cans will.

Nancy Brown